Apparatus fob shooting wells



May 7, 1940. o. c. MAYS APPARATUS FOR saoo'i'ma WELLS Ori ina Filed Au 15. 19ss Realms May 7, 1940' UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE- mans-ms For. snoo rmo wants Orland 0. Mars- Kermit, 'lex. Original No. moss, dated February 15, 1838,

Serial No. 98,182, August 15, 1938.

Application for reissue February 14, 1940, Serial No.-

I m seatson the well obstruction, it is forced to carry the weight of all the other containers holding like "charges" or shots." Often times the weight is too great, the container buckles, and prematur'e explosion remilts, doing considerable damage to the well, and subjecting many people to possible loss of life. v

' Another disadvantage of present day methods is the fact that there'is no means in use at preesnt to prevent various ones of the shots from 20 beingmoved upor down inthe hole,after they have been set down" on the obstruction. This movement is due to sand entering the hole under pressure. It sometimes forces its way far up in the hole; carrying a number of shots with it. 25 As a result when the shots are detonated, the shots which have been moved up in the hole either explode at'the wrong place, doing considerable damage, or else do not explode until tools are replaced in the hole, which explosion causes 30 even more damage, and some times prevents furthem-drillinginthewell.

, litis,thsrefore,tbemainobiectofmyinven tiontoobvistesuchdsmsgetoobstructedwells duringtbeprocess ofremovlngtheobstruction,

either because of premature explosion, delayed- -explosion, or explosion at the wrong place in the I well.

Further obiects of the inventkm are to provide an anchor which opens automatically under 4 itsownweightwhenitsdownwardmovementis obstructed; which anchors more firmly'when weight or pressure is applied from above; and which, when anchored, withstands positively either upward or downward pressure.

I ,Other'obiects of the invention will be apparent view the anchor is shown "spread, or in an anchored position.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the an- J chor in the position it would assume if suspended byits ball. The view is taken along the line 5 8-3. of His. 2.

Like characters 01' reference designate like parts in all the iigures.

The preferred m'ethod of shooting wells according to the present invention contemplates 1.

the placingof suitable anchors at spaced intervals between adjacent shots" of explosive, and allowing each anchor to receive and carry the load between it and the next anchor above.

The preferred type anchor will first be de- 1].

The head is equipped with a'ball 9, the ends of which areanchored in through perforations in the lugs I and 4. It will be noted that the ball is free to revolve in the perforations, and that u when the downward'movement of the anchor stopped, the ball 9 would move tojthe position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. .3. The ball would thus act as a guide to cause a "shot" container attached to the bail to seat properly in the conical bore of the head I. Pivoted respectively between the side portions of each of the bifurcated lugs I; 8, 'l and I are flukes I0, H, I! and II. Each fluke has a sharply tapered outer end for digging into and anchoring on the side wall 35 or a well.

Pivotally attached to each of the flukesll,

II, II and II, intermediate their ends, are links II, II, II and I1, each being bifurcated'at both ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The opposite 0 ends of the links I, II, it and I1 are pivotally connected to upstanding lugs, ll, 20 .and II which are integrally carried on the upper surface of a bottom plate, designated as a whole by numeral 22. The bottom plate I! alsocarries on itslower surface, centrally located, a bifurcated lug II, the two side members of which carry through perforations, properly aligned. to receive a pin -14, which is easilyremovable therefrom to facili- 1 tate the attaching of a"shot container ball so thereto, between the side members of the lug.

' Referring to Fig.3, which illustratesthe rela- Y positions of the various parts as the device is lowered into a-well,\it will-be noted that the freetipendsoftheflukes contactthesolidcentral r portions of their respective links, thus preventing the pivot points 25, 28, 21 and 28 from reaching actual alignment with the respective pairs of pivot points 29 and 30, II and 32, 13 and 34, and 35 and". This relation is positively established in order that the least movement, or tendency to movement, of the head I and bottom plate 22 toward each other will cause the flukes it, H, I! and II to be forced outward by the links I4, II, I! and I1. With this arrangement there is practically no resistance to free outward movement of the iiukes.

The operation of my anchor will be explained in connection with my method, whichwill now be considered. As previously stated it is customary to attach a number of sho containers together, one above the other, for lowering into the well. The usual container holds approximately twentyquarts of nitroglycerin, or some other suitable explosive. The container is substantially cylindrical and has a conical bottom. Its upper end is open. Each container is fitted with a suitable wire ball at its top, as well as a suitable bail at its bottom. The lower ends are conical so that when the lowermost container seats on the obstruction in the well the conical lower end of the next container above will seat in its open upper end and so on up the string until each container is seated in the container below it. The containers are necessarily made of light gauge metal and are not capable of standing up under pressure from above.

It is preferably my method to connect a plurality of the containers together in the usual manner, connect the lower end of one of my anchors to the ball of the top container, connect another series of containers to the bail 9 of my anchoir and in this manner continue the insertion oi' anchors at spaced intervals throughout the entire string of shot containers. The spacing of the anchors will depend greatly on the weight of the liquid carried. I prefer to connect an anchor to the uppermost shot" container as shown in Fig. 1 before the string is lowered into the well for shooting.

When the string of shots" are thus prepared and the string lowered into the well, the anchors pass freely through the hole. When the lowermost shot seats on theobstruction the shots above it in turn seat on their adjacent containers and when the downward movement of the bottom plate 22 of the first anchor is stopped, the weight of the "shots" above this anchor causes, the flukes to penetrate the side walls of the hole as shown by the lower anchor in Fig. 1. As the downward progress of each anchor in the string is stopped, it likewise anchors to the side wall of the hole.

It preferred each series of containers may be lowered into the well independent of the other series of containers'and independent of the anchors. In this case, when the first series 01 containers rests on the obstruction, one of my anchors may be lowered until it rests on the top of the uppermost container; another series of containers may then be lowered until their weight rests on the anchor, and so on until a sufiicient quantity of explosive has been placed in they well.

With the entire explosive column thus anchored it is not possible for sand to enter the hole and move any of the "shot containers upward in the hole. Also, each anchor carries the weight of the containers between it and the next container illustrated in Fig. 1 is carrying only out obstruction from theanchors.

well, as did the first anchor. The lower portion 'of the head I has a perforation at the point where the conical bore is truncated to allow any .sand which may be passing downward in the well to pass freely therethrough. Also, in cases where the anchor is substantially as large in radius as the well, this perforation serves to relieve any gas pressure. which may be in the well at the time the string is lowered.

With this method it will readily be seen that the anchors prevent any buckling of the "shot" containers, thus they prevent premature explosion of any part of the total "charge". By preventing either upward or downward movement of any of the shot containers, delayed explosion due to the separation of a part of the total charge, from any other part is prevented. The result is a saving in money, time and expensive drilling operations, as well as consider--' able reduction in the danger in the shooting of wells. It will also be noted from Fig. 1 that in case an error is made and it is desired to withdraw the entire explosive charge from thewell before setting off the charge the entire string may be freely raised again through the hole with- This is true because as the weight from above is lifted from each anchor it normally assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, thus presenting'no obstruction to the string of explosives as it is withdrawn from the well.

While I have described and illustrated a speciflc embodiment of the anchor I prefer to use in' connection with my method, I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein and I do not wish to be limited except by 'the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An anchor comprising an upper member having a central conical bore; a lower member in axial alignment therewith having a bail supporting element formed on its lower surface; a plurality of circumferentially disposed ilukes pivoted about the lower end of said-upper member; a like plurality of links radially positioned in alignment with said flukes, one end of each link being pivotally connected to one of said flukes' intermediate its ends, and the other end of each of said links being pivotally connected about the periphery of said lower member.

2. A two way anchor comprising: a shot seating upper member of cup-like form having a central conical bore, a plurality of spaced flukes each having one end pivotally connected to said upper member; a lower member; and a like plurality of links, each having one end pivotally connected to said lower member and the other end pivotally connected to one of said ilukes intermediate its ends whereby said links force the outer ends of said flukes away from said upper member when the upper and lower members 'approach each other.

3. Organization as described in claim 1 and: a bail for said upper' member.

4. An anchor comprising: an upper member; a

lower member in axial alignment therewith; a u

- upper member; a like plurality of links pivotally connected to the lower member; pivotal connections between the respective links and flukes at a point intermediate the ends of the latter; 8. lug carried by each link for contacting the free end of its respective fluke thereby to limit the relative pivotal movement of each link and fluke about their respective pivot points; a bail for said upper member; and a bail connection for said lower member.

5. An arrangement for shooting oil-wells consisting of a string of explosive charg'es connected together, a two-way, self-acting anchor means between certain of said charges in said string, whereby when the lowermost charges seat on an obstruction the weight of charges in said string above said anchor will automatically cause said anchor to operate to relieve the charges below said anchor from the weight of the charges thereabove.

6. An arrangement for shooting oil-wells consisting of a string of explosive charges connected together, a two-way self-acting anchor means between adjacent charges at intervals along the entire string, whereby when a charge below an anchor seats on an obstruction the weight of charges in said string above said anchor will automatically cause such anchor to operate to rep v 21,444 plurality of flukes pivotally connected to said I 3 lieve the charges below such anchor from the weight of charges thereabove.

7. An arrangement for shooting oil-wells, consisting of a string of explosive charges connected together, a two-way, self-acting anchor means secured to the uppermost charge of said string, whereby opposing forces on opposite sides of said anchor will serve to cause said anchor to operate to hold said string of charges against movement in the oil well.

8. An arrangement for shooting oil-wells consisting of a string of explosive charges connected together, a self-actinganchor means between certain of said charges in said string, whereby when the lowermost charges seat on an obstruction the weight of charges in said string above said anchor will automatically cause said anchor to operate to relieve the charges below said anchor from the weight of the charges thereabove.

9. An arrangement for shooting oil-wells conv sisting of a string 01' explosive charges connected together, a self-acting anchor means between adjacent charges at intervals along the entire string, whereby when a charge below an anchor seats on an obstruction the weight of charges in said string above said anchor will automatically cause such anchor to operate to relieve the charges below such anchor from the weight of charges thereabove.

ORLAND C. MAYB. 

